I am an art therapist and mental health counselor. I work with many clients who are depressed and had major trauma. One of the art tasks that is most helpful, that combines positive thoughts and art, are
affirmation cards. It is really simple, though it can appear to be difficult or may think you need to be an artist to make these. But really, it is simple.
Materials needed:
card stock, or playing cards
paint
markers-thin and thick
oil pastels
stamps-different ones
ink pads in various colors for stamps
paper-various colors
tissue paper
glue glitter
glue
ribbon
gesso
Playing cards is a deck of 52, you can make one a week for the entire year.
Paint gesso over the cards, as a primer for the materials that are added to it.
If you don't want to add paint or oil pastel but instead want to use card stock, glue the card with the numbers towards the color of the paper and cut it out once it dries. (this paper is green on both sides)
After the back ground color(s) are chosen, then either write in handwriting the affirmation or cut out words from a magazine, also print out affirmations off of the computer and paste onto the card.
Here are the results:
These are made on card stock which is bigger than a playing card.
Give it a try, you will be amazed by the results!